Internal-combustion generator.



l. C. JENNINGS.

INTERNAL COMBUSTION GENERATOR.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 18, I907.

Patented Apr. 27', 1915.

IRVING C. JENNINGS, Oi SOUTH NORWALK, CONNECTICUT.

INTERNAL-COMBUSTION GENERATOR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 27, 1915.

Application filed m 18, 1907. Serial No. 384,431.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, IRVING C. JENNINGS, a citizen of the United States,'residin at South Norwalk, in the county of Fair old and State of Connecticut, have invented a new and useful Internal-Combustion Generator, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to the burning of oil or gas under pressure in a suitable closed receptacle and expanding the products of combustion of the same to produce power, in any form of engineutilizing the pressure or the velocity, or a combination of both the pressure and the velocity of any gas under pressure. And the objects of my invention pares-first, the generation of power more economically than heretofore has been POSSI- ble; second, the improvement in control of power produced from the burning of fuel direct and expanding the products of combustion ofsame 1n an engine, making said control of power equal to the well known ideal control of the'steam engine; and third,- to make it possible for any of the formsof.

reciprocating, rotary or turbine steam engines now on the market to produce power direct from fuel.

' Asis'well known to those familiar with the subject, only a small portion of the available heat in coal, oil or gas as the case may be, is transformed into useful Work by any i form of engine heretofore known.

. The chief losses in the steam engine are due to so-called cylinder condensation and to the loss of the latent heat of the steam,

while those of the gaseng'ine may principally be attributed to heat lost to the cooling water or radiated from cylinder walls, if engine is air cooled. The present device largely overcomes the above losses.

In principle, the invention is as follows;-

A combustible mixture is introduced periodi-' igniting the mixture previously introduced which burning increases the volume or pressure. or both the volume and the pressure of the gaseous mixture in said combustion space. This gaseous mixture is now stored in a tank provided for the purpose and utilized as wanted in an engine to do useful work, a portion of which work consists in introducingthe combustible mixture and compressing the cooling air, While the remainder can be devoted to power purposes. Since the energy. insaid cooling air dueto its pressure is utilized in the engine along with the energy in the products of combustion and since the heat abstracted from the cylinder walls of the combustion chamber by the cooling air is not lost but is used to expand said cooling air, the only losses in the complete cycle are those due to mechanical friction, radiation, and the small losses of Giftciency of the compressors and engine due to unavoidable leaks, etc. As the compression of cooling air is conducted as nearly as possible isothermally and radiation reduced to a minimum by proper lagging, these losses are not large; hence the high efficiency of this method of producing power.

Y My invention, the principle of which has been outlined above, is illustrated somewhat diagramatically in the accompanying drawing, andin which a portion of theiparts are shown in section to make clear their internal operation.

Similar numbers refer to similar parts.

1 is a receptacle capable of sustaining considerable pressure and is used as a storage tank for the products of combustion and cooling air as will transpire later. From this storage tank 1 a pipe 15 leads to sure to produce power.

7 is a tank for compressed ai r lto q used for cooling andscavenging purposes which air may be supplied -by any form of air compressor havinga pressure regulator adjusted to malntain an a1r.pressure somewhat above the pressure desired in storage tank 1 or to maintain enough pressure to cause asufiicient flow of airfrom 7 to 1 when valves 22 and 525 to be described later are open.- II prefer-,however, to connect the power'end of the airpump to regulating valve 11 the tank 1, making the entire mechanism independent of outside power. It is so shown on the drawing.

8 is the air compressor.

13 is the power cylinder of same connected to tank 1 by pipes 12 and l5 the former containing automatic pressure operated through pipe 10. In order to maintain the pressure in tank 7 greater than that desired in tank 1, the power cylinder 13 of said air compressor is made greater in area than the compression cylinder 14.

l-2 is the combustion chamber fastened securely and tightly to, and communicating with tank 1. A partition 3 containing a number of small perforations or holes separates the compartment a from the c mpartment 2, the space where actual combustion takes place; This partition 3 is made in the form of twotruncated cones withbases adjacent, as shown, for a reason to be brought out later. 5 a spark plug projecting into space 2 is of standard design, and is wired in the conventional manner shown to the induction coil 58, the battery 20 and the commutator 29 mounted on shaft of air compressor 2837. that the form of spark, method of wiring same and source of electric energy is merely .a matter of preference. Any method of ignition, properly timed and capable of firing a combustible mixture under pressure will answer the requirements. Thus while the connections shown in the drawing are for a a high tension current from ducing "from. a generator. and make would work equally well.

I t ,7 by a belt or by otherconvenient means from the engine 19, or operated by. any other method desired. To the inlet pipe 40 of of the said pump 37'28 is connected at a battery, proa ump spark, a low tension current and break spark gas or oil carbureter, or a gas producer or any device for supplying a combustible miX-' ture. In the drawing, a float feed carbureter 55 of conventional design piped to an oil tank 52 is shown. On the said suction pipe 40 isa throttle valve 41 connected by suitable links 42, 43, 4 1 to pressure regulator 48. piped to i..e. c'ontrolledby pressure in tank 1 The pres sure regulator shown. in the drawing is one .of the piston type working'against an adjustable spring but might be .of diaphragm or other well known design; Whenthe pressure in 1 rises above a. predetermined amount regulator 48 tends to close throttle 41 causing a diminution of the intake to, and hence the discharge from pump 37-928 to. combustion chamber 2 The delivery of compressor 3 I28 is led direct to combustion space 2 against a normal pressure in It will be understood- .is an air or gas pump operated through the check valve through pipe 38 screen 67 check valve 6 and pipe 39 The pump 3728 has two pistons 35, 34 one working within the other, against the action of a spring 36 of adjustable compression which normally holds lug on piston 35 against back of piston 31 as shown, making distance of front or working face of 35 from wrist pin 79 a maximum. \Vhen working tank 1 these two pistons act as one unit and the piston 35 makes a maximum stroke with the smallest clearance at the end of the compression stroke consistent with good mechanical operation, causing a maximum delivery of combustible material at each compression stroke. As the pressure in boiler l rises above the normal or desired pressure, the spring 36 is compressed as piston 31 advances toward the left in the drawing, until the back pressure exerted against 35 is balanced'by the increased force of the spring due to its compression at which time piston 35 begins to move with reference to the cylinder wall and delivery to occur. Inasmuch as the length of stroke of piston 35 has become less, the delivery is diminished. As the pressure in tank l continues to rise, the spring 36 is compressed more and more with conse} quent decrease in length of stroke of piston 35 and delivery pump becomes smaller and smaller with zero delivery as the limit. Thus delivery of pump when pressure in tank 1 is above normal is inversely proportional to that pressure. On suction stroke of pump 37z 28 the auxiliary air valve 25 on pipe line connecting tank 7 with combustion chamber 2 is opened by means of cam. 27 on shaft of pump engaging roller 59. Valve 22 on same pipe line is controlled by solenoid 21 actuated by electric battery 2O the circuit of a thermostat 18 located on pipe line 15 near engine. 'In order that one battery 20 mayserve for ignition as Well as for the of combustible gas by which is-closed by operation of solenoid 21 the electric con- 2 any convenient means,- as by 34 and 35moving as an integral part go toward the' right, acharge of combustible material is drawn into the pipe 40 and on the return stroke compressed and pushed.

6 into the comby the flash point of the bustion space 2. As the pistons again start toward the right, the check valve 6 closes automatically; the lug 64 on shaft of pump 37-28 causes the commutator 29 to close the circuit of the battery 20 and coil 58 producing a spark across the points of the spark plug 5 in the combustion chamber 2. The said spark ignites the combustible mixture previously introduced which is prevented from burning back into the compressor by check valve 6 The expansion of the mixture consequent upon its burning in combustion space 2 raises the pressure in tank 1. The process or cycle described above, beginning with suction stroke of the pump and ending with the burning of the combustible mixture is now repeated indefinitely or until the pressure in tank 1 rises to a pre-determined amount, when regulator 48 begins to close throttle valve 41 on inlet pipe 40 of pump, throttling the intake of combustible mixture, and in addition the spring 36 between the pistons 35, 34 is compressed, decreasing the stroke of piston 35 and hence the delivery of pump to combustion chamber 2 as hereinbeforeexplained. The mixture of gases under pressure in tank 1 may now be used to operate engine 19 which can be devoted to the performance ofuseful Work and may at the same time be used to run the pump 37-28 It is immaterial what form this engine 19 takes. The compressed mixture in tank 1 may also be used to operate the air compressor 8 causing an air pressure to rise and be maintained in tank 7 slightly greater than the pressure in tank 1, the difference in pressure being determined by regulation of automatic valve 11, so that suflicient flow will occur from tank 7 to tank 1 when valves 22 and 25 are open. At each right hand or suction stroke of the pistons 34 and 35 the cam 27 engages the roller 59 and opens the valve 25 on the pipe lines 24, G1 connecting the part of the combustion chamber 4 to air tank 7 but as the valve 22 is closed no air can flow. When the temperature of the gases in tank 1 or of the walls 3 of combustion chamber 2 reaches a pre-determined amount, which maximum temperature is fixed by the necessity of keeping the walls of combustion space cool enough to prevent pre-ignition of the combustible mixture and oil used to lubricate cylinders of engine 19 and compressor 8, thermostat 18 closes circuits 60, 70, 71, 72 causing solenoid 21 to lift valve 22 which allows air to flow periodically, as valve 25 opens, into space 4 and thence through holes in Wall 3, cooling same, into space 2 where said cooling air mingles with and reduces the temperaopen,

ture of gases therein. The introduction of this cooling air further acts as a scavenger of the burnt gases in 2, rendering the combustion of the next entering charge or combustible mixture complete. In this connection the shape of the combustion chamber 2 bears an important relation, As is well known air follows the law of inertia, z. e. when once started it tends to keep moving in a straight line and due to this fact when issuing from an outlet it takes the form of a steep sided cone 6. e. diverges only slightly from said outlet as it advances.

The Walls 3 of combustion chamber are made to diverge from inlet or pipe 39 to conform as near as possible to form that the incoming gases will assume and then slope together quickly as they approach the outlet or entrance to tank l. The combustion space 2 is designed to have a volume equal to the volume of combustible mixture delivered by a maximum stroke of the pump 37-28 so that the products of combustion contained in combustion chamber 2 are almost entirely expelled by the incoming combustible mixture whichfollows the walls 3 closely, due to their shape and is retained by the restricted outlet or entrance to tank 1, thewalls adjacent to which having the form of a steep sided cone as shown and described above to avoid pocketing any of the products of combustion and make their entire expulsion possible. The

expulsion of the products of combustion is further helped by the introduction of the cooling air into the combustion space 2 through the holes in wall 3 as hereinbefore described. While this cooling air keeps the walls of combustion chamber below ignition point of the incoming mixture preventing pre-ignition when check valve 6 is as an additional precaution screen 67 is placed in pipe 38 back of check valve 6 to prevent any burning back should check valve 6 fail to seat or walls get abnormally hot due to failure of cooling air.

Having thus fully described my said invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is,

1. In an internal combustion generator, a combustion chamber, means for supplying a combustible charge, and means for introducing charges of said combustible mixture of varying predetermined volumes into said chamber against a variable pressure therein.

2. In an internal combustion generator, a combustion chamber, means for supplying a combustible charge, and a yielding piston for introducing charges of said combustible mixture of varying predetermined volumes into said chamber against a variable pressure therein.

3. In an internal combustion generator, a combustion chamber, means for supplying a combustible charge and means for introdue-ing charges of said combustible mixture of varying predetermined volumes into said chamber against a variable pressure therein,

said means comprising a yielding piston having outer and inner members and a spring cushion between the heads of said two members.

4. In an internal combustion generator, a combustion chamber, a pump for supplying a combustible mixture thereto, a storage tank for receiving the products of combustion, means for supplying a cooling medium to said chamber comprising a tank, a compressor for supplying the cooling medium thereto, said compressor being operated by the pressure in the storage tank and regulated by the pressure in the cooling medium tank and means controlled by the temperature of the products of combustion for regulating the supply of cooling medium from its tank to the said chamber.

5. In an internal combustion generator, a combustion chamber, a pump for supplying a combustible mixture thereto, a stgrage tank for receiving the products of combustion, means for supplying a cooling medium to said chamber comprising a tank, a compressor for supplying the cooling medium thereto, said compressor being operated ,by the pressure in the storage tank and regulated by the pressure in the cooling medium tank and means controlled by the operation of the mixture pump for regulating the supply of cooling medium from its tank to the said chamber.

6. In an internal combustion generator, a combustion chamber, a pump for supplying a combustible mixture thereto, a storage tank for IBCBlYlllg the products of combustion, means for supplying a cooling medium to said chamber comprising a tank, a compressor for supplying the cooling medium thereto, said compressor being operated by the pressure in the storage tank and regulated by the pressure in the cooling medium tank and means controlled by the temperature of the products of combustion and by the operation of the mixture pump for regulating the supply of cooling medium from its tank to the said chamber.

7. In an internal combustion generator, a perforated combustion chamber, a storage tank connected therewith for receiving the products of combustion, a pump operated by the pressure fluid in said storage tank for supplying a combustible mixture to said chamber, means for preventing the mixture from burning back into said pump, means regulated by the pressure in the storage tank for controlling the amount of mixture supplied to the chamber, means controlled by the operation of the said pump for igniting the mixture within the chamber, a jacket for said chamber and means controlled by the heat and pressure of the pressure fluid and by the operation of said pump for supplying a cooling medium to the said jacket and thence through ,the said perforations in the walls of the chamber for cooling the chamber and the gases therein.

IRVING 0. JENNINGS.

WVitnesses:

GEORGE A. JENNINGs, CHARLOTTE BEARD JENNINGS. 

